THE BRODIE FAMILY

MY SWEET RIDE

2008-08-11T22:52:00.002-05:00

I LOVE MY NEW CAR! I'M A DODGE GIRL AGAIN..........

School Days

2008-06-16T22:39:00.008-05:00

WHATEVER!

The last day of school has been postponed a week due to area flooding, a.k.a. right up to the school doors! Anyways so they went today and it consisted of them having a meeting with the principal in the gym for 5 minutes as he told the kids who the teachers were for summer school and then they were supposed to pick up their things in their classrooms, but, oh yeah, their teachers weren't even there!!!!!! What a WASTE OF TIME!!!!!!! But, alas, summer is finally upon us. We survived the first year of their school! The rest of the day consisted of them arguing with each other and bullying their sister...only 77 more days til it's over!

A Mother's Work GLORIFIED!!!!!

2008-05-06T20:49:00.003-05:00

DUDE----
My son pee'd in his bed then came into our bed and pee'd in our bed. Meanwhile......when I enter my daughter's room, Emma says, "yuckie" and I see that she has taken her diaper off and pooped in her bed and rubbed it all over her legs, so MOMMY gets to disinfect 3 beds, change sheets and clean the poop off my darling Daughter before we take the boys to school one morning. Is this what God has planned for me? Is this His great Awesome plan for my life? Such is the life of a Stay-at-home Mom.

A Kid's Prayer

2007-12-10T17:38:00.000-06:00

A kid's Prayer.......
My kids are so cute when they pray, they are straight and precisely to the point. The other day Dylan was praying and at the end of his prayer he goes, "K, God?" It was the cutest thing ever and it made me think of all of OUR prayers and how sometimes we, as Adults, are not necessarily praying to God, but are trying to impress the people around us with our magnificent ability to say wonderful prayers. Why can't we be more like a kid anyways, God knows our true motives and if we are praying to hear how good we can pray, will that prayer REALLY be answered? i think when we are most sincere, we do not use all of those big words that make up a beautiful prayer. I have to tell you, though, nothing is more beautiful than to hear your son or daughter pray a heart-felt prayer. That is probably how God feels too.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T11:54:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving.........I am thankful for:

My extremely hot, caring, thoughtful, sensual, loving husband
My miracle twin boys
My one and only BEAUTIFUL daughter
My parents
My brothers and sisters
Friends and family and family who are my friends
Naps with my boys
Shopping with my girl
Mom's cooking
Dad's breakfast
Cafe Mocha
Walks in September
Sweaters and Jeans
Sharing a hot tub with my husband
TIVO
Health and the health of my family
Beautiful gardens and tulips
The majesty of clouds and the wonder of sunsets
Life-long friendships
Sledding with my children
The excitement of Christmas Morning
Baking cookies
Scrapbooking
Watching "Friends" every night with my hubby

Ode to Mister Schwans Man

2007-10-25T19:03:00.000-05:00

I love Schwans.....what's not to love, they deliver food to your door, many things to choose from including ice cream!! HELLO!!!!! Only 1 problem........my Mister Schwans Man always comes when I am in my pj's. No bra, no underware, no makeup, bed-head hair. The solution: go and hide with your 3 kids in one of their bedrooms while saying shhhhh, shhhhh! (oh, and of course the giggles!) Now, I know today that he KNEW I was home, probably because my sons were waving "hello" to them from their bedroom windows as he drove up to our house, or maybe he just heard me say, no, no get down, come here and hide in baby Emma's room! Who am I fooling? :) But I do love the little orange sticker he leaves us, "Sorry, we missed you" Yeah....it should say, "Sorry you are hiding from me today" I'm sorry Mister Schwans Man, but you should know by now to please come in the afternoons!!!!

Emma's 18 Month Pictures

2007-08-30T19:13:00.000-05:00

I Love Deforest!!!!

2007-07-26T21:36:00.000-05:00

Ode to my 1st Home....Well my parents are in their new house and all that is left in Deforest are my memories! I'M SO SAD!!!! I swear no one else is!! Doesn't anyone care about my 1st home. 30+ years of memories, that's what they are now just memories. As my parents slowly clear out my home, I have become overwhelmed with memories of my past childhood days. The flooring in the back porch has surfaced as my faded memories of going in and out of the porch on many summer days playing with all my friends has returned. It is such a blessing to be a kid, why did we want to grow up so fast? That home is filled with many good memories of the past and I will always cherish it. It was the PERFECT home!! I will never forget you 3931 Mueller Rd................

2007-07-14T22:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, so sorry haven't posted in a while, but have been on my space recently. You can check it out at http://www.myspace.com/twinsplusprincess

Check ya la-der!

Emma Patricia

2007-04-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

Killer SMILE :) Look, I finally got a tooth!!!

Check out my big belly......

Easter Time

2007-04-09T11:57:00.000-05:00

Easter Time....The boys enjoyed finding their Easter Baskets on Easter morning, we went to church for Easter breakfast and then after church we headed to my parents for dinner. Here are a few pictures to enjoy!

Emma's 1st Birthday

2007-02-25T11:29:00.000-06:00

We had Emma's 1st Birthday party at our house. It was so much fun and sentimental all at the same time. My Baby is growing up!!! I cannot believe it has been a year already! She is growing up so fast, as kids tend to do. I can vividly remember her being born and having the nurses put her on my chest and just looking at how amazingly beautiful this little one was! God has TRULY blessed me with such a wonderful, fun-loving, funny, crazy, beautiful daughter......

I LOVE YOU BABY EMMA!!!!!

Monster Trucks

2007-02-02T14:38:00.000-06:00

We took the boys to Monster Trucks the end of January. They had an amazing time as boys would. I was surprisingly entertained. I totally want one!!!!!

2007-01-13T19:23:00.000-06:00

Ok---I usually delete these when I get them from chain letters, but here goes:

A - Available or taken? Taken for almost 10 years now!!!!
B - Best friend? (s) Todd, Mom and Lou
C- Cake or pie? Cake
D - Drink of choice? Code Red or Mudslide coffee from Gloria Jeans
E - Essential item you use every day? Disinfectant wipes
F - Favorite color? turquoise
G - Gummy bears or worms? Bears
H - Hometown? Fall River, WI
I - Indulgence? after having 3 kids, a NAP!!!!
J - January or February? February, duh (MY Birthday, Emma's Birthday, Todd's Birthday)
K - Kids and names? Dylan, Zach, baby and Emma
L - Life is incomplete without? God, family, friends, laughter and coffee
M - Marriage date? August 15th, 1998 which is the same as Brobergs and Johnsons, funny, huh?
N - Number of siblings? 4-Lorri, Carol, Larry and Louis
O - Oranges or apples? Apples-Granny Smith
P - Phobias or fears? Phobias-BIRDS, snakes, mice; Fears-getting the car crash your husband died phone call or my dad dying or my mom getting alzheimers/dimentia
Q - Favorite quote? Will Hunting: Do you like apples? Clark: Yeah. Will Hunting: Well, I got her number. How do you like them apples?
R - Reason to smile? My 3 kids; my husband in a gotee (ooh baby!)
S - Season? Fall
T - Tag three or four people. Jess, Christine, Carol and Mom
U - Unknown fact about me? I have a castle in Brodie, Scotland. Ok, it's by marriage, you say, but all the other "Brodies" don't like history and Braveheart is like my FAVORITE movie, so I am claiming it to be mine! :) It's actually for real though, check it out http://www.castles.org/Chatelaine/BRODIE.HTM
V - Vegetable you don't like? okra
W - Worst habit? trying to please people
X - X-rays? teeth and lungs
Y - Your favorite food? green jello

P.S. I deteted "Z" for Zodiac.....I DON'T DO ASTROLOGY!!!

2007-01-10T21:33:00.000-06:00

The leach has two suckers that cry out “More, more!” There are three other things, -no four!-, that are never satisfied:
The grave,The barren wombThe thirsty desertThe blazing fireProv. 30: 15,16
Just as death and destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. Prov. 27:20
If the leach has two suckers that cry out “More, more!” then we are much like the leach. We are NEVER SATISFIED.
• When will I have enough money?
• Who can satisfy vengeance? I will hurt you like you hurt me. I will make you pay and never let you forget.
• A man is given a porn magazine. He looks at the first page and the animal screams, “More, more!”
• A lady cleans her house, but it is not really clean enough.
• When will I get enough sex?
• Who can satisfy the craving for alcohol, nicotine or drugs?
• I eat one donut and I cry out for MORE.
• I am not satisfied with a 30 mb ipod, I need one that has 80.
• Once I fix my house all up, then what? Then I must buy a shed or a cabin on the lake and fix that up. When that is fixed up then I will sell my house and buy another one so I can work on that. Never satisfied.
• Who is ever satisfied with the way they look? Then why are there fitness centers, diets, makeup and liposuction?
Like a blazing fire we are never satisfied.
Like the grave that swallows a few hundred thousand souls every day. Is it ever satisfied? Tomorrow it consumes more.
What desert is ever satisfied with one rainfall?
HOW CAN I EVER BE SATISFIED???
I CAN NEVER GET FILLED UP!!!
This is when Jesus arrives, stands up in the middle of the party and says…
“Is there anyone here that is not satisfied, that feel empty and feel they can never get enough?”
Then come to me! Come to me and DRINK! And when you do, rivers of water will come gushing from you. Full and overflowing, fully satisfied! Come to me and I will give you the Holy Spirit and you will NEVER THIRST AGAIN.
Can we get what He is saying? But what of the leach, you ask? What of the blazing fire, the thirsty desert, the barren womb and the hungry grave?
Jesus is totally aware of the problem. We drink from all the fountains mentioned above and thirst again. Yet Jesus offers us Someone who will satisfy us to such an extent that we will never thirst again!
Who will believe??
“Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
The Lord says, “Who will believe me? Who will come and receive the Spirit of God? Why do you run daily to drink water from wells that contaminate? Why do you continue to drink from vessels that are cracked? Wherefore I plead with you, and with your children I will plead. You have exchanged my Spirit for things that do not profit. You forsake me, the fountain of living water, and drink from vessels that hold no water. What iniquity have you found in me, that you would turn to vanity and emptiness? My people have forgot me days without number”
Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid.
Oh! Blessed is the person that will believe what He has said! Oh, so few Christians come to Christ to be filled with His Spirit. How He longs for His people to come. He waits. He waits for you each morning to come. The table is set, the fountain is running, but you never come. So you are never satisfied.
Oh, Jesus! I come. I eat from the garbage heaps and drink from the puddles. I belly up to the trough with the pigs and roll around in their slop. Is your fountain still running? Is your door still open? Then I want to come home. I need you to forgive me. Forgive me for ignoring you. Forgive me for not believing. Forgive me for trying to be satisfied with the world. I am ashamed.
I want to sit at your table and be filled. Fill me with your Spirit. Baptize me with your fire and with your power. Fill me to overflowing and SATISFY MY THIRSTY SOUL! Teach me to drink from your well day and night. Cause me to hate the worldly fountains. Teach me to be satisfied only in you. Bring me into a new level of intimacy with You. Take away my unbelief and increase my faith.

Christmas Cards SUCK!!!!

2007-01-06T19:31:00.000-06:00

Christmas Cards SUCK!!!!

Okay, so this is my vent, I'm not really worried if I offend anyone because no one reads my BLOG anyways, so here goes.....I seriously ponder as to why the heck I send out Christmas Cards. I spend so many hours making homemade beautiful, (my opinion) looking cards, spend hundreds of dollars on pictures that my whole family hates to take and all for what, to get like 2 cards back??? Why do I torture myself? I'm not saying I'm looking for a card because I gave you one, but why have we gotten so lazy in this old time tradition? And to top it off all of my relatives EXPECT a picture and like call my Mom if they don't get one. AAAAHHHHH!!!!!! You say, you're so busy, EXCUSE me but am I just sitting at home, wondering what I can fill my days with, I DON'T THINK SO!!!!! I have a full time job called "mother" and I cook, clean, laundry, meals, pick up after everyone and twin 4 year old boys who have me going every which way, a newborn baby and oh my other job-job, not to mention a husband to please and a household to keep going. There aren't enough hours in the day, I go to Amfam just to relax and sit down. WHATEVER people and I just love the people who send them on like December 23rd, like it's going to get to me by oh, the next day??? Yeah right!!! Well, it is not all in vain, on December 26th I received a card from the person I love the most.....Marcy! I love her cards and no one else got one from her!!!! I will tell you, honestly when I got her card it made all the other non-givers float off into space. So, THANK YOU MARCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. The only people I exempt from this post are Larry and Louis because I know that they don't send anyone cards :)

Christmastime

2006-12-19T21:42:00.000-06:00

So we are trying to do all the holiday traditions for the kids, the fun stuff anyway at Christmastime. we made cut out cookies the other day and we had so much fun decorating them. it is a blast to have kids, because you stop for a moment at being an adult and be crazy, funny like a kid. I just think they enjoy LIFE so much more than us adults. Anyways, so Dylan was constantly, and I mean constantly eating the frosting and then when I would catch him, he would laugh really loud and it was hard not to laugh at him. Zach was pretty much just eating the red and green sugars. Which poses a question, am I contributing to them getting diabetes? Oh well! Well, the WHOLE batch lasted about 2 and a half days, which had something to do with a little thing called "Todd". Well, the Brodie household has Christmas 3 days in a row this year starting Saturday. So that will be fun with family. We will be bringing the Christmas program video from church to our Christmas, it is hysterical!!!!!!!! Let's just say it would have been boring without my 2 little terrors! Hope you all are having fun this week. See most of you on Sunday! I had to post this picture to get us all in the winter wonderland mood, WE HAVE NO SNOW!!!!!!! Last time I checked, this was WISCONSIN. Remember when we used to have inches and inches of snow and have snow days and make forts and igloos? By the time Emma gets into school it will probably by like 60 degees during winter!!! Poor kids......

Love,
Vicki

P.S. Emma update: She says DaDaDaDa now. SHE IS THE CUTEST THING EVER! I bet she is EVEN cuter than I was. So if you ask her, Emma say MaMa, she stops, looks at you and goes, "Uh, Da Da Da" while bouncing up and down, smiling. It's so funny! Oh and if you really want to see her go bananas, put her on your shoulders, she absolutely loves it!

Dylan and Zach's 4th Birthday!

2006-11-21T13:18:00.000-06:00

Well, we had the boys' 4th birthday, they are getting to be so old! We took them to Chucky Cheese, played many games, Skeeball being their favorite, Uncle Larry would be so proud, had some pizza and then had the family over for cake and ice cream on their Birthday. They are so blessed to have everyone in their lives. By the way, Larry this is for you: the boys would take the other people's tickets next to them and say, Look Mom, see how many tickets I got, Dylan would sometimes throw overhanded and Zach seemed to always get his ball in the next lane! :) It was quite the experience

Ponderings by Vicki

2006-10-31T21:35:00.000-06:00

When you grow up in the church in the Jess/Vicki world you are totally oblivious to what really goes on in the real "adult" version of the church. All life was about was making up code names for the people we loved or, usually, made fun of. Now, that we are adults we see what really goes on behind the scenes, more so probably for Jess than of me, but, you realize how much CRAP goes on and most being meaningless shines of the "human-ness" people are. People you have looked up to all these years, you realize that they just have the wrong aspect of thinking and views and what not. Most of the time, I look to the wisdom of what is called "Louis". But, I thought I would share with you, all you pastor's and wives my heart very much goes out to you. It's like can't we just put all this off and be like Jesus and just minister? Normally if you minister to church people, that is what you are doing is looking to satisfy Christians. Shouldn't our focus be of worldly people. Sometimes I get sick of ministering to lazy christians in the church. It's said 20% of the people do 80% of the work in the church. I'm asking you, why do we have 80% lazy christians in church? Or giving to Missions, there is a very, and I stress very, small percentage of people who support the majority of our Missionaries. WHY IS THAT THE CASE? Because isn't that what we are called to do? Spread the Gospel? No, we all like our 3 cars, big house, directv, TIVO, cell phone and DSL. How spoiled and soft we have gotten. Where is our focus? We all need to be less "us" and more of "Him". What have you done for God lately? Is He getting good use out of you? I hope so. I'll leave you with this: 1 Corin 12:27, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." You are a part of God's plan, His work NEEDS to be done, so DO IT!!!!

2006-10-21T22:04:00.000-05:00

These are pictures of the kiddos taken at Aunt Carol's. Nothing much new, just enjoying life together with our family. October is turning out to be a busy month. We had a Missions Convention at church with Vic Hedman, John Koeshall and Rick Nanez. It was a BLAST listening to all of what they are doing for God around the world is truly inspiring. I believe Victor Hedman is my ULTIMATE favorite missionary---EVER!!!!!!!!! Next week, Larry is coming home and we are having a get together at our house, hopefully everyone will make it. Family is very important, especially this time of year. The boys are turning 4 next month, cannot believe that. It brings me to a thought. Listen to the song "He's my Son" by Mark Schultz, I think that best describes what I and Todd went thru with them when they were born. A lot of people think I was strong or brave or whatever, but I know it is only by God literally carrying me thru that situation as to how I ever got thru it. People say God never gives you anything you can't handle, but I think God puts too much faith in me. Anyway, Listen to the song. It's a good cry.

Emma and her Bear

2006-09-04T21:39:00.000-05:00

Here's Emma and her bear from Uncle Louis!

Little Miss Piggy

2006-08-14T14:19:00.000-05:00

We have a new nickname for Emma now: Miss Piggy. She LOVES her cereal!!! Inbetween spoonfuls she cries. She kicks her legs and waves her arms, mostly knocking the spoon out of Mommy's. And when she sees the spoon coming she opens wide and turns her head from side to side like a little bird waiting to be fed and of course when she finally gets that bite she's been waiting for it is followed by, "uuummmm". Total Satisfaction!

July 4th

2006-07-13T19:36:00.000-05:00

We all had a wonderful 4th this year. We went to the parade in Columbus, which the boys just loved getting a bunch of candy! Then we went back to our house to grill out and stopped over to the Lubenau's to visit with Aaron and Jess. The boys made a new friend, Jake, as Levi was "flirting" with Emma. They had popsicles thanks to Grandma Gloria and then were just being boys, playing swords or light sabers, whichever. Jess and I were talking about how surreal life is, seeing your kids playing together in the backyard. Well, Jess, we always said it would be cool to have our kids together. :) It's so much fun to see your kids grow and teach them. I just LOVE being a parent and a Mom. God has Truly blessed me with such wonderful kids. We ended the night with fireworks at Columbus with everyone. It was a great day.

Emma's Dedication

2006-05-23T10:37:00.000-05:00

We had Emma's Dedication on Sunday, May 21st. It's a great feeling to have the support of the church family, knowing they will help to encourage, support, train and pray for our daughter. We had a nice gathering at our house afterwards, thank you to all who came. I'll leave you with Proverbs 22:6 says "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." That is my prayer for Emma and all my children. What wonderful blessings God has given me!!!

Brodie... Party of Five

2006-05-11T23:02:00.000-05:00

I thought I would post some new pictures for everyone to see. Life is CRAZY and busy. Getting used to another little one in the house. For some reason when she cries, it isn't as annoying as a 3-year old crying. Emma is starting to smile and coo and she is growing like mad crazy! Pretty soon they'll all be in school, growing up, making friends, ok I'm gonna cry now! They grow up way too fast. P.S. Dylan is SPIDERMAN!!!!

Easter Egg Hunt

2006-04-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

We had our 5th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bruce and Patti's house last Saturday. There were a ton of kids! We helped the boys get all of their eggs and then had something to eat. It was good to see everyone there and the kids loved playing with all of their cousins. Uncle Pat gave all the kids rides on the ATV. Dylan and Zach absolutely loved that! We ended the day at Grandma and Grandpa Brodie's house with some key lime pie. The kids also got a chance to jump on the trampoline. On Easter Sunday we all went to church and then had dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Vans house and also got to see Uncle Len and Aunt Carol and of course Uncle Lou. The kids are so blessed to have both Grandparents in their lives. Todd and I didn't have that luxury. At the Easter Egg hunt I was talking to someone about time going by so fast. It seemed just like yesterday we were all in youth group and going out every Friday night, blowing our paychecks on anything we wanted and discussing Saturday Night Live (when it was actually funny) every Sunday morning at church. Now we all have like 3 kids, a house and responsibilities! Where did the last 10 years go? All in all, I would say we had a wonderful Easter holiday. Having so much family close to you is such a blessing we take for granted. We love you all!

Eating sand

2006-04-14T18:30:00.000-05:00

We spent most of the afternoon outside today, putting the climbing gym/slide together for the boys and bringing out the turtle sandbox--of which 1/2 the sand is already on the ground or in Dylan's stomach! Emma loves to be outside-the fresh wind, although Grandma Brodie would probably shoot me for not covering her up! :) It's funny as you go from kid to parent how you do the same things that your parents did for you, but when "Grandma" or "Grandpa" finds out, they freak out. I guess that's okay though, if they worry, I won't have to.

Blogger Mania

2006-04-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

So I've decided to join in the "blogger craze". Don't know what exactly this will amount to, so you'll just have to keep coming back to check us out.
Here's our beautiful kids.